1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, image processing method, and storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an image forming apparatus, an apparatus designed to digitize an input image and process the resultant data is known. For an image forming apparatus of this type, a so-called electronic sort function has been proposed. According to this electronic sort function, a plurality of image data input from an image information input unit are stored in a large-capacity storage medium such as a hard disk. When the plurality of stored image data are to be output from an image information output unit, the output order of output images can be changed regardless of the input order of image data, or a plurality of copies of recorded image data that is input by image input processing once can be output.
Such an electronic sort function is not a minimum requirement for an image forming apparatus. In addition, to implement this function, an expensive component such as a hard disk must be mounted in the image forming apparatus. For these reasons, a unit for implementing this function (to be referred to as an electronic sorter unit hereinafter) is generally treated as an additional unit for the image forming apparatus. Obviously, this unit is generally treated as a unit that can be attached/detached to/from the image forming apparatus.
Paper currency, notes, and the like can be easily counterfeited by using an image forming apparatus, represented by a color electrophotographic image forming apparatus, which can from high-quality images. This problem has been pointed out. For this reason, an image forming apparatus incorporates the function of automatically recognizing an original image prohibited from being copied, e.g., paper currency or note, when it is input through an image input unit, and prohibiting or interrupting image output operation for the corresponding image.
Assume that the above electronic sorter unit is added to such an image forming apparatus with high image quality. In this case, in order to record image data on the electronic sorter unit at a high speed, the image data may be completely recorded on the electronic sorter unit before it is determined whether the corresponding image is prohibited from being copied. That is, even if an original image prohibited from being copied, e.g., paper currency or note, is input through the image input unit, the image data may be stored in a large-capacity storage unit such as a hard disk in the electronic sorter unit.
In order to prohibit an image forming apparatus having an electronic sort function from counterfeiting paper currency, notes, and the like, an attempt was made to additionally record fraudulent image identification result information, which is obtained after image data is recorded on the electronic sorter unit, to the image data. In this case, when the image data is to be output through the image information output unit, whether to prohibit the image information output unit from outputting the corresponding image or not is determined in accordance with the fraudulent image identification result information added to the original image.
In the above scheme as well, however, original image data prohibited from being copied can be output by the following procedure. When image information data is completely input to the electronic sorter unit, the electronic sorter unit is detached from the image forming apparatus. The fraudulent image identification result information added to the original image data stored in the large-capacity storage unit in the detached electronic sorter unit is tampered. Thereafter, the electronic sorter unit is attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus again.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus and method and a storage medium which can solve the above problem.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus and method and a storage medium which prevent formation of fraudulent images.
In order to achieve the above objects, according to a preferred example of the present invention, there is provided an image processing apparatus comprising first storage means for storing image information as image data in a detachable storage unit; second storage means for determining whether the image information stored in the storage unit is a copy-prohibited image, and storing determination information indicating the determination result in the storage unit in correspondence with the image data; image formation control means for permitting formation of an image of the image data stored in the storage unit when the determination information corresponding to the image data permits copy operation; detection means for detecting occurrence of detachment of the storage unit in the past; and erase means for erasing contents stored in the storage unit when the detection means detects occurrence of detachment of the storage unit in the past.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus having a new function, an image processing method, and a storage medium.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.